Jews Demand Firing for Anti-Israel Comment
Source: The New York Post | June 21, 2001
Furor Over Jewish ‘Olympics’
by JESSICA TISCH and URI DAN
New York lawmakers [Jews] are demanding the firing of a U.S. State Department official who praised an American basketball coach for not participating in Israel’s version of the Olympics next month, The Post has learned.
In an e-mail obtained by The Post, Dale McElhattan, a security officer at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, hailed Clemson University basketball coach Larry Shyatt for deciding last Friday to withdraw from the international competition, known as the Maccabiah Games.
“I applaud your courage in declining to take part in the Mac Games here,” McElhattan wrote earlier this week in an e-mail that was forwarded to many members of the team.
“Your decision is responsible,” he said, adding it showed a “high level of character and sound judgment.”
Critics said McElhattan’s statement goes beyond the State Department’s official travel advisory, which “warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza,” and states that American tourists “should exercise extreme caution.”
“This e-mail is an embarrassment and an outrage,” fumed Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“It sends exactly the wrong message at the wrong time. The American consul general in Jerusalem should take a hard look at how this happened, why this happened and how to make sure it never happens again.”
A longtime American diplomat told The Post McElhattan would probably be disciplined.
Ron Carner, vice chairman of USA Maccabiah, the group that put together the American delegation to the games, said nearly one-third of the U.S. athletes scheduled to participate have already pulled out.
